Askia Daoud
gigatos | January 27, 2022
Summary
Askia Daoud (also spelled Askia Daud or Askia Dawud) was the ruler of the Songhai Empire from 1549 to 1582. Daoud ascended the throne unopposed after the death of his brother Askia Ishaq I in 1549. The empire continued to expand during Daoud”s peaceful reign and had few internal conflicts until the invasion and interference of the Moroccan army, which led to the fall of the empire in 1591.
Located in West Africa, the flourishing Songhai Empire stretched across the regions of Gao, Senegal, Gambia, Nigeria, Timbuktu and Djenné. During the reign of its father Askia Mohamed I, the Songhai Empire had a flourishing economy thanks to his efforts to develop an Islamic society, through the development of trade with neighboring regions and by prioritizing education and literacy. By institutionalizing Islamic teachings and practices in schools and in the economy, the Muslim population of the empire grew exponentially and experienced an era of prosperity. Muslim men became traders of gold and other goods, several schools based on the Islamic faith were built, increasing literacy, and a centralized bureaucracy fostered stability and strengthened the empire. This period was known as his “golden age.” Inheriting the extent of his father”s territory, Askia Daoud had a reign of great prosperity, although soon after his father”s death a gradual decline in the empire”s sovereignty and power began.
Stability, security and religion were among the main priorities of the Askia dynasty. Both Daoud and his brother and father before him organized a series of military campaigns against tributary territories of their vast empire. The Songhai armies were known for their victories. To further the stability of the empire, both Askia Daoud and his brother married daughters of rulers to the south of the empire, the nomads of the Sahara, to show their loyalty and desire for unity. Along with regional stability, religious unity was also one of his central thrusts, by marrying his daughters to both commercial and religious authorities the empire ensured connections at all levels. By marrying his daughters to personalities of religious importance, he ensured the Islamic faith for generations, and subsequent rulers would maintain the dynamic. However, after the death of Askia Mohamed, peace began to erode, and during the reign of Askia Daoud the empire came under attack.
In 1556-1557, the armies of Mohammed ash-Sheikh, the Sultan of Marrakesh, captured the Taghaza salt mines, although they later withdrew. Shortly after his accession to the throne in 1578, Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur of Morocco demanded taxes from the salt mines, and Askia Daoud responded by sending him a large amount of gold as a gift. Askia Daoud responded by sending him a large quantity of gold as a gift. With the Moroccan ruler”s invasion in the dispute over the Taghaza salt mines, the Songhai Empire began to face a gradual decline. The salt and gold mines had fed the main avenues of trade for the Muslim population in the empire. The struggle for control of the mines continued between the Songhai Empire and Morocco. However, through numerous raids, the Moroccan army began to modernize its military tactics with the use of firearms, while the Songhai army did not do the same and continued to rely on the use of spears, arrows and guns. Due to this technological difference, in 1591 the Songhai Empire was finally defeated by Moroccan forces. After the fall of the Songhai Empire, Morocco continued to dominate the region for the next 100 years, until the French colonization of West Africa.
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